Re: [Gaim-devel] Usability issue and suggestion: remote file transfer requests

[Stephen E. <spe...@gm...>]

On 3/22/07, Ethan Blanton <ebl...@cs...> wrote:
> Andy spake unto us the following wisdom:
> > As Stephen Elilert mentioned, this is apparently already a feature of
> > some other IM clients. From your objections, I'm unsure if you
> > understand my proposal. I'm suggesting that popups be abandoned
> > altogether. In their place any file transfer requests be written to the
> > conversation window with a button (or clickable text) for the user to
> > accept the transfer. Along with tray icon and audio notification
> > options. - In exactly the same way an incoming message is handled. So
> > the ability is already in code, it just needs to be moved to the
> > conversation window.
>
> We are unconcerned about "some other IM clients".  While they may be a
> source of inspiration, "SomeMessenger does it!" is not a motivation.

It is not. However, it is useful to have something to compare against,
or examples. Taking a look at those other IM programs (sadly, only
under win32 afaik) might help others to better understand the proposed
feature.

Also, you don't need to implement said feature to do an usability test.

>
> That said, this does not sound like an unreasonable way to handle file
> transfer requests.  There are, however, some questions:
>
> 1) What do you do when you do not have a conversation open with a
>    user?

"Prior art": Conversation windows are created, usually. Probably not
the optimal way to do it.

> 2) I personally tend to ignore new messages most of the time, until I
>    am ready to deal with them.  I don't get file transfers, so I don't
>    have a good feeling about this, but do people tend to expect to be
>    notified of these in a relatively short period of time?  (I would
>    suspect yes, since inattention leads to failed transfers.) Does
>    this mean some additional notification would be in order.

I've seen clients (can't remember which) that allow you to auto-accept
files. This is already in Gaim, with the auto-accept plugin. It is the
workaround I'm going to use right now.


> 3) We currently don't really allow a way to modify existing text; this
>    probably would have to change, if the conversation became more
>    dialog-like.  What should this be like?

I believe the idea is something like:

"<Buddy> wants to send you <filename>. Accept or Reject?"

With the appropriate links/hotkeys/buttons, etc.


Stephen